The magical realm of language isn’t just reserved for the learned scholars or eloquent orators; it starts its enchantment early on, especially with the youngest of listeners. Idioms, with their colorful imagery and curious phrasings, possess a particular allure, often piquing the interest of children and whisking them away on a journey of imagination. This article, “Idioms for Kids,” is a delightful dive into these quirky expressions, tailored especially for young minds.
From “spill the beans” to “let the cat out of the bag”, these idioms are not just whimsical words but encapsulate mini stories, teaching children about language’s figurative nature while sparking their imaginative fires. Designed for educators, parents, and inquisitive young readers, this article promises a fun-filled exploration of phrases that might sound strange at first but unfold to reveal amusing and insightful meanings. So, come along as we turn over a new leaf in the captivating book of idiomatic adventures, perfect for young learners!
Top Idioms for Kids with Meaning and Example
Introducing children to the colorful world of idioms can be a fun and engaging way to boost their language skills. Idioms, which are phrases with meanings different from the literal interpretations of their words, add flavor to language and can make conversations more interesting and vibrant. While some idioms can be complex, there are plenty that are simple and perfect for kids. Let’s dive into 30 popular idioms suitable for children, complete with meanings and examples.
- A Piece of Cake
- Meaning: Something that is easy to do.
- Example: “The math test was a piece of cake for Jenny.”
- Bite Your Tongue
- Meaning: To stop oneself from saying something.
- Example: “When I wanted to reveal the surprise, I had to bite my tongue.”
- Break a Leg
- Meaning: A way to wish someone good luck.
- Example: “Break a leg at the school play tonight!”
- Cry Over Spilt Milk
- Meaning: Getting upset over something that has already happened.
- Example: “It’s no use crying over spilt milk; just clean it up.”
- Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
- Meaning: Don’t concentrate all your efforts or resources in one area.
- Example: “I applied to several schools, so I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket.”
- Feeling Under the Weather
- Meaning: Feeling sick.
- Example: “He’s not coming to the picnic because he’s feeling under the weather.”
- Hit the Hay
- Meaning: Go to bed.
- Example: “It’s late, so I think I’ll hit the hay.”
- Hold Your Horses
- Meaning: Wait a moment.
- Example: “Hold your horses! Let me get my shoes on.”
- It’s Raining Cats and Dogs
- Meaning: It’s raining very hard.
- Example: “Take your umbrella; it’s raining cats and dogs outside!”
- Jump for Joy
- Meaning: To be very happy.
- Example: “When she saw the puppy, she jumped for joy.”
- Keep an Eye on
- Meaning: Watch or take care of something.
- Example: “Keep an eye on your brother while I’m in the store.”
- Let the Cat Out of the Bag
- Meaning: Reveal a secret.
- Example: “Oops, I let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
- On Cloud Nine
- Meaning: Extremely happy.
- Example: “After winning the prize, he was on cloud nine.”
- Over the Moon
- Meaning: Very happy or delighted.
- Example: “She was over the moon when she got a bike for her birthday.”
- Pull Someone’s Leg
- Meaning: To joke with someone.
- Example: “I was just pulling your leg; there’s no spider on your chair.”
- Spill the Beans
- Meaning: To tell a secret.
- Example: “Don’t spill the beans about the surprise gift.”
- Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
- Meaning: Getting information directly from the most reliable source.
- Example: “I know we’re having pizza tonight because I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”
- The Ball is in Your Court
- Meaning: It’s your decision or turn to act.
- Example: “I’ve done my part, now the ball is in your court.”
- Through Thick and Thin
- Meaning: Staying loyal in both good and bad times.
- Example: “Best friends stick together through thick and thin.”
- Tie the Knot
- Meaning: To get married.
- Example: “My sister is tying the knot next summer.”
- Two Peas in a Pod
- Meaning: Two people who are very similar.
- Example: “Jake and John are like two peas in a pod; they even dress alike.”
- When Pigs Fly
- Meaning: Something that will never happen.
- Example: “I’ll clean my room without being asked when pigs fly!”
- Zip Your Lips
- Meaning: Be quiet.
- Example: “Zip your lips during the movie.”
List of 155 English Idioms of Kids with Meaning
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Anything But | used to mean the opposite of the stated quality |
| call someone names | If a person, especially a child, calls someone names, they address that person with a name that is intended to be offensive |
| be in a class of your own | to be the best at a particular activity |
| like a bull in a china shop | If someone is like a bull in a china shop, they are very careless in the way that they move or behave |
| A Dime A Dozen | common and not special |
| A Fish Out Of Water | a person who feels awkward or unhappy because they are in a situation that is not familiar or because they are different from the people around them |
| Fly On The Wall | If you say that you would like to be a fly on the wall on an occasion, you mean that you would like to hear what will be said or see what will happen while not being noticed |
| drop someone/something like a hot potato | to quickly stop being involved with someone or something because you stop liking that person or thing or you think they will cause problems for you |
| a little bird told me | used to say that you have heard a piece of information about someone from someone else |
| make a mountain out of a molehill | to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem |
| rip someone off | to cheat someone by making them pay too much money for something |
| A Slap On The Wrist | a small punishment when a more severe punishment is deserved |
| a whole new ballgame | a completely different situation, often one that is difficult or that you know little about |
| Add Fuel To The Fire | to make an argument or bad situation worse |
| to add insult to injury | said when you feel that someone has made a bad situation worse by doing something else to upset you |
| be all ears | to be waiting eagerly to hear about something |
| As Cool As A Cucumber | very calm or very calmly, especially when this is surprising |
| as easy as pie/ABC/anything/falling off a log | extremely easy |
| As Keen As Mustard | very eager and interested in everything |
| Barking Up The Wrong Tree | trying to do something in a way that will not work |
| Be A Fly On The Wall | If you say that you would like to be a fly on the wall on an occasion, you mean that you would like to hear what will be said or see what will happen while not being noticed |
| not be a happy camper | to be annoyed about a situation |
| A Piece Of Cake | something that is very easy to do |
| Be As Busy As A Bee | to be moving about quickly doing many things |
| As Clean As A Whistle | extremely clean |
| be as dead as a doornail | to be clearly and obviously dead |
| Be Full Of Beans | to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm |
| be in hot water | to be in or get into a difficult situation in which you are in danger of being criticized or punished |
| Be In The Bag | If something is in the bag, you are certain to get it or to achieve it |
| Be In The Same Boat | to be in the same unpleasant situation as other people |
| Be Like Two Peas In A Pod | very similar, especially in appearance |
| of the old school | traditional and old-fashioned |
| Be On The Ball | to be quick to understand and react to things |
| Be Under The Weather | If someone is or feels under the weather, he or she does not feel well |
| Be Up On | to have an advantage over someone or to have done something that shows you are better than them |
| Beat Around The Bush | to avoid talking about what is important |
| have a bee in your bonnet | to keep talking about something again and again because you think it is very important |
| bend/lean over backward | to try very hard to do something |
| Bite Off More Than You Can Chew | to try to do something that is too difficult for you |
| Bite The Bullet | to force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation |
| Black And Blue | with dark marks on your skin caused by being hit or having an accident |
| blow the whistle on someone/something | to tell people publicly about something bad that someone is doing |
| Born With A Silver Spoon In Mouth | to have a high social position and be rich from birth |
| Break A Leg | used for wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance |
| Break The Ice | to make people who have not met before feel more relaxed with each other |
| Butter Someone Up | to be very kind or friendly to someone or try to please someone, so that that person will do what you want him or her to do |
| Call It A Day | to stop what you are doing because you do not want to do any more or think you have done enough |
| Cat Got Your Tongue | something you say to someone when you are annoyed because they will not speak |
| cost someone an arm and a leg | to be very expensive |
| Cream Of The Crop | the best of a group of similar things or people |
| Cross Your Fingers | to hope that things will happen in the way that you want them to |
| Cry Over Spilled Milk | to feel sorry or sad about something that has already happened; used to emphasize that this is not helpful |
| Cry Wolf | to keep asking for help when you do not need it, with the result that people think you do not need help when you really need it |
| Curiosity Killed The Cat | said to warn someone not to ask too many questions about something |
| Cut Corners | to do something in the easiest, cheapest, or fastest way |
| Cut Somebody Some Slack | to not judge someone as severely as you usually would because they are having problems at the present time |
| cut to the chase | to talk about or deal with the important parts of a subject and not waste time with things that are not important |
| Different Kettle Of Fish | to be completely different from something or someone else that has been talked about |
| Dip Your Toes In | to start very carefully to do or become involved in something that you are not experienced at |
| Don’T Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch | you should not make plans that depend on something good happening before you know that it has actually happened |
| Have A Cow | to be very worried, upset, or angry about something |
| Down To The Wire | until the last moment that it is possible to do something |
| drag your heels/feet | to do something slowly because you do not want to do it |
| Draw A Blank | to fail to get an answer or a result |
| Drop The Ball | to make a mistake, especially by not taking action or dealing with something that should have been planned for |
| Eat Like A Bird | to always eat a small amount of food |
| an elephant in the room | If you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about. |
| Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining | said to emphasize that every difficult or unpleasant situation has some advantage |
| Under The Weather | If someone is or feels under the weather, he or she does not feel well |
| fall on deaf ears | If a suggestion or warning falls on deaf ears, no one listens to it |
| Fight Like Cats And Dogs | to have angry arguments all the time |
| be in the black | If a bank account is in the black, it contains some money, and if a person or business is in the black, he, she, or it has money in the bank and is not in debt. |
| For The Birds | be strictly for the birds |
| Get Cold Feet | to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married |
| get off on the right/wrong foot | to make a successful/unsuccessful start in something |
| Get Off Someone’S Back | used to tell someone to stop criticizing you |
| come/get down off your high horse | to stop talking as if you were better or smarter than other people |
| get your feet wet | to become used to a new situation |
| get something out of your system | If you get something out of your system, you get rid of a wish or emotion, especially a negative one, by allowing yourself to express it |
| get up on the wrong side of the bed | to be in a bad mood and to be easily annoyed all day |
| Get Your Act Together | to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way |
| give someone a shout | to tell someone something |
| give someone the benefit of the doubt | to believe something good about someone, rather than something bad, when you have the possibility of doing either |
| Give Someone The Cold Shoulder | to intentionally ignore someone or treat someone in an unfriendly way |
| give the green light to something | to give permission for someone to do something or for something to happen |
| go back to the drawing board | to start planning something again because the first plan failed |
| Out On A Limb | having an opinion that is different from most people’s and is unpopular |
| Hang In There | said as a way of telling someone to not give up, despite difficulties |
| Change Of Heart | If you have a change of heart, you change your opinion or the way you feel about something |
| have ants in your pants | to not be able to keep still because you are very excited or worried about something |
| have butterflies in your stomach | to feel very nervous, usually about something you are going to do |
| have a/the feeling | to think or believe something, usually based on a guess or on your emotions |
| Have Someone’S Number | to know a lot about someone and so have an advantage over them |
| hit the hay/sack | to go to bed in order to sleep |
| a hive of activity/industry | a place where a lot of people are working very hard |
| Hold Your Horses | used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something |
| Hot Dog | something that you say when you are very pleased about something |
| the icing on the cake | something that makes a good situation even better |
| In A Nutshell | very briefly, giving only the main points |
| In Hot Water | in a difficult situation in which you are likely to be punished |
| In The Same Boat | in the same difficult situation as someone else |
| It’S Not Rocket Science | used to say that you do not think that something is very difficult to do or to understand |
| It’S Raining Cats And Dogs | something that you say when it is raining heavily |
| run around with someone | to spend a lot of time with someone |
| Kill Two Birds With One Stone | to succeed in achieving two things in a single action |
| the final/last straw | the last in a series of unpleasant events that finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation |
| Let The Cat Out Of The Bag | to allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to |
| Miss The Boat | to lose an opportunity to do something by being slow to act |
| Monkey Around | to behave in a silly and annoying way |
| At A Snail’S Pace | extremely slowly |
| Not Be One’S Cup Of Tea | If something is not your cup of tea, it is not the type of thing that you like |
| be on cloud nine | to be extremely happy and excited |
| On The Ball | aware of any changes or developments and quick to react to them |
| be skating on thin ice | to be doing something that is dangerous or involves risks |
| tie someone up in knots | to confuse someone and make them unable to explain something clearly |
| Out Of The Blue | If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected |
| paddle your own canoe | If you describe a person as paddling their own canoe, you mean that they are independent and do not need help from anyone else. |
| with flying colors | If you do something such as pass an exam with flying colors, you do it very successfully. |
| Pig Out | to eat a lot or too much |
| Play It By Ear | to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than acting according to plans made earlier |
| as pleased as Punch | very pleased |
| pull someone’s leg | to try to persuade someone to believe something that is not true, as a joke |
| pull together | to work hard as a group in order to achieve something |
| Rain Cats And Dogs | to rain very heavily |
| it’s raining cats and dogs! | something that you say when it is raining heavily |
| Read Between The Lines | to try to understand someone’s real feelings or intentions from what they say or write |
| Second To None | as good as or better than all others |
| see eye to eye | If two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other |
| Sleep Like A Log | infml to sleep very well, without being woken by any noises |
| slip someone’s memory/mind | to be forgotten |
| a mile a minute | very quickly |
| Speak Your Mind | to say what you think about something very directly |
| Spice Something Up | to add excitement or interest to a speech, story, or performance |
| Spill The Beans | to tell people secret information |
| Take A Rain Check | used to tell someone that you cannot accept an invitation now, but would like to do so at a later time |
| take someone/somewhere by storm | to be suddenly extremely successful in a place or popular with someone |
| the ball is in someone’s court | If the ball is in someone’s court, they have to do something before any progress can be made in a situation |
| The Early Bird Gets The Worm | the person who arrives first is the one who is successful |
| The Whole Nine Yards | everything you can possibly want, have, or do in a particular situation |
| the world is someone’s oyster | If the world is your oyster, you can do what you want or go where you want |
| Think On Your Feet | to make a quick decision or give an answer quickly |
| Think Outside The Box | to think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas |
| Through Thick And Thin | If you support or stay with someone through thick and thin, you always support or stay with him or her , even if there are problems or difficulties |
| To Make A Long Story Short | used when you are explaining what happened in a few words, without giving all the details |
| Tongue In Cheek | If you say something tongue in cheek, you intend it to be understood as a joke, although you might appear to be serious |
| your two cents’ worth | your spoken opinion on a particular matter |
| Up In The Air | If a matter is up in the air, it is uncertain, often because other matters have to be decided first |
| walk/be on eggshells | to be very careful not to offend or upset someone |
| warn someone off something | to tell someone not to do something because of danger or some other reason |
| I’ll/we’ll cross that bridge when I/we come/get to it | an expression that means you will not worry about a possible future problem but will deal with it if it happens |
| wet your whistle | to have an alcoholic drink |
| a wolf in sheep’s clothing | a person with a pleasant and friendly appearance that hides the fact that they are evil |
| You Can Say That Again | you can say that again! |
| You Can’T Teach An Old Dog New Tricks | said to mean that it is very difficult to teach someone new skills or to change someone’s habits or character |
| Your Guess Is As Good As Mine | I have no way of knowing exactly what happened or what will happen |
In Conclusion
In the vibrant tapestry of language, idioms stand out as colorful patches, drawing young minds into the rich world of linguistic creativity. As we’ve journeyed through these delightful expressions tailored for kids, we’ve not only explored their meanings but also ignited the fires of imagination and curiosity. Encouraging children to delve into idioms is akin to giving them a key to a treasure chest of cultural wisdom and storytelling. Here’s to fostering a lifelong love for language in our young learners and celebrating the quirky, fun-filled corners of communication!
